The night passed without any special incidents. Perhaps deeming Kaseun’s slash too threatening, the black wolves didn’t ambush during the night, allowing a peaceful morning. After finishing breakfast, the soldiers prepared to move at the knights’ command. Overnight, Kaseun, leading the knights, must have issued new instructions, as today the two squads were grouped together while maintaining some distance between them.
They were moving to hunt the black wolves, but since the beasts weren’t charging at them, there was no way to hunt them. If the forest had been a single mountain, at least they could have driven them out for a hunt. But that wasn’t the case. It was not like their forces were large enough to surround the entire forest anyway.
The 400 soldiers were a large number, about a fifth of Serenia Castle’s forces, but compared to the vast forest, they were a mere handful of sand. Besides, encirclement is only possible when your side outnumbers the enemy. In this case, it was nearly impossible.
‘I thought Kaseun’s presence would make the extermination easy.’
It wasn’t as simple as he thought. The sense of wasted time was inescapable. Chasing the wolves’ tails endlessly, when would they ever exterminate them? Splitting up might be better. Sticking together ensured survival, but without scattering, they couldn’t lure the wolves out.
Yuda wondered how they planned to end this expedition. If the wolves kept fleeing, refusing to fight, what would Kaseun do? Their food supplies were limited.
The supposedly aggressive black wolves avoiding combat left Kaseun with few options. This felt like pointless time-wasting. Losing resources with nothing gained.
That said, if Kaseun chased and killed distant wolves alone, mobilizing soldiers would be meaningless. There would be no need to call it a grand extermination mission.
The soldiers needed to produce results. Food was another issue. Feeding 400 wasn’t trivial. They had personal rations and a few days’ supplies via porters, but two days had already passed. Food would run out quickly. Returning to the castle empty-handed would be seen as a failed expedition by the townsfolk.
‘Building a stronghold might be better.’
Despite its issues, Yuda felt this was the best approach. A small river flowing to the sea was nearby. Settling in a suitable spot, logging, and fortifying would create a fine stronghold.
‘Oh? Wait a second.’
A sudden thought prompted Yuda to activate and zoom in on his 〈Map〉. There was a place where he had fought a 1:1 duel with the black wolf leader Korkan, watched by requiem was half a day away. A wide plain was there, with many wolves gathered. The black wolves might be using it as a base.
The day eventually ended chasing wolves’ tails. As night fell, the groups, like the previous day, spaced out to rest and prepare for the night. Meanwhile, Yuda took a torch and sought Kaseun. He was with Group 5 in the center, alongside Kain’s party. Kain and Riel waved warmly, so Yuda exchanged brief greetings before asking Kaseun for a private word.
Despite being a Spirit Sword Bearer, Kaseun couldn’t hide his age and looked weary but agreed without objection. With no private tent, they moved away with a torch to avoid eavesdroppers.
“Hm, Yuda. Is there a problem?”
“Not a problem.I just have a suggestion.”
“A suggestion?”
Yuda nodded. Thankfully, Kaseun seemed open to listening, saying nothing further.
“You’re not planning to just keep chasing their tails, right? Once food runs out, we’ll have to return to the castle, like it or not.”
“True.”
“Or do you have a clever plan to draw them out?”
Kaseun shook his head. He had led his mercenary band to successfully wipe out orc and goblin settlements, but this was different. Goblins and orcs stayed in fixed areas and fought when challenged.
They also didn’t flee at hard-to-follow speeds like black wolves. Who would have thought that the fiercely aggressive black wolves would avoid a fight?
“Asking if I have a plan means you’ve thought of something.”
“Yes. I have two ideas.”
“Two? Let’s hear them.”
Yuda organized his thoughts and spoke.
“First, you’ve probably considered this. To build a stronghold. There’s a river nearby flowing to the sea, so we find a good spot there. The river solves water needs, and clearing land provides timber for houses or walls. Food would need to be brought from the castle, but long-term, it’s a solid plan. It expands Serenia Castle’s territory. With the population growing, adding secure land is ideal.”
Yuda paused to breathe. Kaseun let out a thoughtful “hmm.” He had considered it before, but hearing it from another made it hard to dismiss. Yet, issues arose. Building and maintaining a stronghold cost dearly. Soldiers would need to be stationed, and supplies had to be delivered regularly. It was something that consumed time, manpower, wealth and effort. For Kaseun, it was doable, but it would burden the lord.
“Above all, even if we return without defeating the wolves, it sets a foundation for future attempts, which is appealing.”
Kaseun, listening quietly, closed and opened his eyes.
“The second?”
“It’s a bit of a gamble, but I know where the black wolves gather.”
“!? Really? Why are you mentioning it now?”
“I didn’t expect them to keep fleeing. But as I said, it’s a gamble. I visited their gathering spot two years ago, so I’m unsure if they’re still there. Even if we go and find them, if they flee like now, we’re helpless.”
Yuda shrugged. Kaseun’s reaction suggested the latter was more enticing.
“The issue is it’s not close.”
“Where is it? Not in the eastern forest?”
“It’s in the southern forest. There’s a risk of meeting white wolves, and if we go and don’t find black wolves, we’d return empty-handed.”
“…”
“We might even have to fight at night. Even with torches or alchemists’ potions, I’m not sure the soldiers could fight effectively.”
The soldiers’ training was rigorous, but their reaction to yesterday’s ambush showed limited real combat experience. Better than none, but expecting strong nighttime performance was tough. In the game, high levels ensured fighting prowess day or night, but reality demanded more considerations. Kaseun, lost in thought, didn’t reply, stroking his chin and sighing repeatedly.
“No choice. I’d prefer the second option.”
“So?”
“But first, lemme ask you a question.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Aren’t black wolves supposed to be aggressive? Am I mistaken?”
Yuda gave a wry smile.
I thought so too. I’ve never seen them avoid a fight like this, so I don’t really know what to say. Personally, I think they were frightened by your strike yesterday grandpa.
“Huh.”
Kaseun looked baffled, then fell into deep thought for a moment. Then he turned to Yuda and spoke.
“But even if scared, will they keep avoiding us?”
“Huh?”
“Would they really just stand by and watch humans, who've always been a nuisance, build homes on the land they need to survive? Think about it, Yuda. Say you bought a house, and some scary-looking guy just moved in without asking. Would you shrug it off and go find another place? Or would you fight to kick him out, even if you got hurt doing it?”
He muttered, wondering if the analogy was a bit off. Still, the point he was trying to make was clear.
“I would fight.”
“Right? It’s silly to think of them as human, but let’s pretend to build a stronghold to lure them out. No, not pretend but actually build it. If they attack, good. If they don’t, it’s no big deal either.
Kaseun nodded, thanking Yuda for the suggestion and ruffling his hair. But things wouldn’t go as smoothly as planned.
“Hm?”
Kaseun’s hand paused on his head, his smile vanishing as he turned and scanned in several directions. From the distance, red eyes gleamed, figures pushing through the dark brush at a sprint. He drew his sword in one smooth motion, the clear, ringing sound hinting it was no ordinary weapon. Holding it at mid-guard, he looked back at Yuda.
“Looks like we won’t need to bother building a stronghold.”
“Seems so.”
Yuda replied with a stiffened face. They had planned to encircle and kill the wolves, but now they were the ones surrounded.
Grrraw!
A wolf charged fearlessly, drooling, jaws wide toward Kaseun. His silent swing sliced through not just the wolf but everything nearby. The overwhelming power should’ve terrified the wolves, yet instead of fleeing like before, they bypassed Kaseun, targeting the soldiers. Their do-or-die ferocity made Kaseun’s eyes twitch.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Yuda drew his bastard sword from his waist and followed Kaseun.
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